5 Worst retentions by franchises before the Indian T20 League 2023 auction

All the franchises announced their list of retained and released players, ahead of the mini-auction 2023, on Tuesday. The fans were left surprised as a lot of big names were not retained. 

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Players like Kane Williamson, Dwayne Bravo, and Mayank Agarwal to name a few will all find themselves at the auction pool as they have been released by their respective franchises. 

That said, there are a lot of players whom the franchises have retained despite not being in good form and not keeping up good fitness levels. To further shed light on the same, we have named the 5 worst retentions by franchises before the Indian T20 League 2023 auction. Here’s a look at the names: 

5. Vijay Shankar 

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Vijay Shankar: (Image Source: Twitter)

Despite dishing out poor performances in the year 2020 and 2021, the Gujarat franchise bet on him and added him in the squad for the 2022 edition. However, his performance continued to disappoint the fans. In 4 matches, all he managed was 19 runs at an average of under 5. 

But, the franchise has continued to put faith in the all-rounder and has retained him for the next season. It has to be one of the worst selections for the franchise for the upcoming season. 

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4. Wriddhiman Saha 

Wriddhiman Saha: (Image Source: Twitter)

Another Indian batter whom the franchise has backed is Wriddhiman Saha. Over the last couple of seasons, he has impressed with his exciting strokeplay in the power play. However, given how fast the game is evolving, you want the best players to open for your team in the best 20-20 league in the world. Saha is, definitely, not the one who should open with next year. 

3. Ambati Rayudu 

Ambati Rayudu: (Image Source: Twitter)

Chennai released veteran all-rounder Dwaine Bravo from the squad despite performing well last year. However, they have continued to back Ambati Rayudu in the middle order. Rayudu struggled to score runs last season as he managed 274 runs in 13 games at 24.

Numbers aren’t that bad for someone who bats in the lower-middle order. But, there’s no denying the fact that Rayudu is past his prime and you need fresh legs in the team. Rayudu’s inclusion could prove to be a really bad retention choice for the Yellow Army. 

2. Devdutt Padikkal 

Devdutt Padikkal: (Image Source: Twitter)

Rajasthan already had a lot of openers in the team but, despite that, they added Devdutt Padikkal in the mix. He batted in the middle-order last season but struggled to get going. Ahead of the next season, fans expected the franchise to release him from the squad but they didn’t. If he continues to bat in the middle-order this season as well, then you are certainly under-utilizing the potential of a talented batter. 

1. David Willey 

David Willey: (Image Source: Twitter)

David Willey was bought by the Bangalore franchise last year for INR 2 crore. He played 4 matches and picked only 1 wicket at 72.00. Willey doesn’t have a lot of experience playing in subcontinent conditions and, thus, you don’t expect him to dish out game-changing performances at Bangalore stadium. Perhaps, letting him go for the next season would have been a suitable option.